We Belong Together
by Aeron Ranmark
Summary: [Based off of Tristan&Isolde]AU. Aerith is the princess of the Cetra. Cloud is from the human world. When these two nations are at war, is it possible for these two lovers to stay together? CloudXAerithXZack
1. Chapter 1: Broken Childhood

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

**A/N: **Welcome to my first Clorith rp! To just straighten out the facts, I am a CloTi and Cloris fan, but lately I've been admiring Cloud and Aerith a little more so I decided to write a fanfic just for them. For those who don't know, this fanfic is loosely based on the movie "Tristan + Isolde". Now, for those who may be asking "Why on 'Tristan + Isolde'? And why with Cloud and Aerith'?", I'll answer that for you:

1. Because the story of Tristan and Isolde is based on the concept of "love at first sight". Though I am not really a believer of this idea, I thought it would be nice to give it a try.

2. Cloud and Aerith share the concept of "love at first sight". They hadn't known each other for long, but were quickly falling for each other. I thought it would be better for the story if I used those two rather than another CloTi story.

And there you have it. So, without further ado, enjoy !

**We Belong Together**

**Chapter 1: Broken Childhood**

_In this world, there are two flourishing cities: Midgar, which houses the humans, and City of the Ancients, which houses the Cetra. Though these two races have lived together for centuries, they have been bitter rivals. This feud started nearly four hundred years in the past, when the humans in their arrogance made the choice to try to conquer the Cetra. The more advanced Cetra's, with their magic and powerful weapons, were able to fight back against the humans and end any plans they might have had of world conquest. Three hundred years later however, when the Cetra king died, his twisted son, Prince Narcin, claimed the throne. This new leader found it in the best interest of his people to exterminate the humans, for they became a threat to the Cetra. Under his rule, he began to kill humans anywhere and everywhere that he could. The humans have now numbered to only a few thousand, while the Cetra's remain strong in population. After Narcin died, his son, Faremisu, claimed the throne, and ended this massacre of humans, but he still kept an eye on them from time to time to make sure they did not try anything hasty. Faremisu married another Cetra by the name of Jenova, and together they had one child: a son named Sephiroth. However, Jenova died five years later. Faremisu once again married, taking the woman Ifalna to be his wife. Nine months later, they welcomed a child, this time a girl, whom they named Aerith. Faremisu still rules with his wife and two children, though the two siblings have not been the best of friends._

_The humans have never had a real leader to guide them. After their defeat centuries ago, the humans scattered, founding different towns, and remaining divided, just as the Cetra wished for them. The main gathering place for the humans has always been Midgar, but several little villages have also served as home. The names of these villages are Nibelheim, Kalm, Rocket Town, Corel, Cosmo Canyon, and Wutai. Each town has a village leader, who keeps in contact with the other leaders. Since the battle with the Cetras, the humans have never dared to rise up against them again. Sadly, this did not stop the senseless murder of thousands of their kind at the hands of the Cetra._

_The Cetra are a race connected with the Lifestream and the Planet itself, able to communicate with it and learn of its knowledge. The humans are able to take raw energy from the Lifestream, and use it for their own benefits. The humans have given the energy a name: Mako. While they do not use it for purposes of war, the potential for doing so is incredible. The Cetra know if it's true power, and a small group plan to take action to ensure that the humans never know of its potential._

The afternoon sun shone on the endless fields of grass as the wind blew against the tiny, green blades. It was a beautiful day; for a certain father and son, it was a good day for hunting. Jason Strife was out on this day with his only son, Cloud, to catch tonight's dinner. Jason had already killed a boar they had found in the woods; now, it was Cloud's turn. His father felt it right to teach Cloud all that he had learned when he was a young lad. The lessons Cloud's grandfather passed to Jason would be given to him. They did not walk for long until they found a rabbit, sitting still in the grass. Cloud looked up at his father with a bright smile, which Jason answered back with his own smile and a small push, ushering Cloud to claim his prey.

The blonde, spiky haired child crouched down onto the ground, quietly closing the distance between him and his target. The rabbit didn't notice Cloud immediately, giving Cloud an advantage. The boy slowly unsheathed his hunting knife, getting ready to pounce on him. As soon as the rabbit caught sight of the boy and turned to run, Cloud threw the knife.

Father and son walked together up the hill which overlooked their hometown. Cloud raised his catch by the ears, looking at it with pride. Jason took a hand to his son's hair and ruffled it gently. "You've done well, my little soldier." Cloud smiled again. Knowing that his father was proud of him made Cloud proud of himself. Jason hoisted his son on his shoulders, carrying him all the way back to the village.

"Do you think that we'll be alright at this meeting tonight, dad? I don't know if the Cetra will like this."

Jason was silent, for he knew that Cloud was right. In four hundred years, the humans had never had the strength to match the advanced Cetras.

"Well son, the Cetra only want to keep peace with us. Their main concern is that we don't try to go to war with them. Mako energy will only be used to provide us with a new source of energy for the towns. I can't imagine what other uses it might have, and Rufus has given us his word that it will never be used in such a way." Jason only hoped that such a man as Rufus would keep his word. As the leader of Midgar, Rufus was undoubtedly faced with many temptations day after day.

Cloud noticed that his father had fallen silent. He bent his head down and looked at his father's face. "Dad? Dad, what's wrong?"

Jason snapped back to reality at the sound of his little boy's voice. He ran a hand through his short, blonde hair to find his son's hand and take hold of it. "I'm fine son. Come on, let's get home before our lady starts to worry." Cloud laughed with his father as they continued their walk.

---

Ifalna was tending to the roses she had recently planted in the soft earth outside her city. Their red petals matched the same color of her beautiful dress. Her long, brown hair, which grew past her lower back, was softly moved by the wind. She used her hand to put a stray lock of her hair behind her ear to have a better view of her future garden. Some of the roses were close to sprouting up, while others were already above the ground, though still just adolescents. The beautiful Ifalna was humming a cheerful melody when the giggling of her daughter caught her attention.

"Mommy! Mommy, look! Elmyra braided my hair!" The adorable 9 year old girl plummeted into her mother's arms, burying her head in her chest with the happiest smile on her face.

Ifalna held Aerith tight until she held her at arms length to look at her hair. "It's beautiful, sweetheart." Ifalna noticed the bright pink ribbon that held the braid together. The ribbon was a perfect touch to match Aerith's pink dress.

Aerith looked down at the adolescent flowers that were starting to sprout. "Will the garden be finished soon, Mommy?"

Ifalna smiled and patted her daughters head lightly. "In a few months they will be. But I must take great care of them to make sure they stay healthy."

"Can I help you, Mommy?"

Ifalna smiled warmly as she looked into her daughter's green eyes. "Of course you can." Aerith's face became bright with happiness and joy. She jumped in excitement, eventually leaping into her mother's arms again. Ifalna laughed as she hugged Aerith once more before ushering her inside the house. "Come on. It's time for us to go in now."

"Awww!" Aerith liked being outside, and hated it when Ifalna would call her inside from playing. Aerith was running back to the house, her mother not far behind.

Ifalna, however, started to feel dizzy. Putting her hand to her head, she felt herself losing her sense of balance. Her vision became blurry as she could feel her strength leaving her body. "Mommy?" little Aerith asked. Iflana could not answer however as she fell to the earth. "Mommy!" Aerith ran back to her fallen mother with Elmyra behind her. Aerith collapsed onto her mother's body, shaking her in an effort to wake her up.

"Mommy! Mommy! Please, wake up, Mommy!" Ifalna spoke nothing. Elmyra stood and called to the house of Faremisu.

"Someone help us! The Queen is dying!"

Aerith shed small tears from her eyes, feeling them fall from her cheeks onto Ifalna's body. She looked down at her mother's neck, seeing something that horrified her. Black marks, almost resembling brusies, covered her neck; and as Aerith looked further, she saw them on her arms as well. She knew that nothing would save her mother now. Ifalna, Queen of the Cetra, was dead.

---

Cloud and Jason entered through the front gates of Nibelheim, welcomed by the various townsfolk that greeted them. Richard Lockhart was with his daughter Tifa when he spoke to them. "Jason! Cloud! Good to see you. Any great catches today?" Both males showed off their kills for the day, Cloud feeling extra proud for catching something other than a bird or a mouse. "Well, well, well…" Richard commented on the young Strife. "Looks like the little man is becoming like his father. While we're on the subject, my little Tifa is becoming exactly like her mother: feisty and sweet all at the same time. Zack is becoming a fine lad as well." Richard spoke of his eldest son, Zack, who was off elsewhere. Tifa's dark locks and brown eyes drew Cloud to her. Normally, she would hang out with Cloud and his friends as just "one of the guys", despite being a female. As she was growing older, Cloud was starting to notice her a little more. Not enough though.

"So Cloud, is that all you were able to catch? I thought you were capable of more."

"Oh yeah? Well, it's certainly better than what you could do."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Tifa gave Cloud an angry look, and vice versa Cloud. However, she smiled quickly and gave Cloud a little push. She ran off, wanting him to chase her. Cloud was more than ready for the challenge, leaving behind his rabbit for his father to deal with.

"Cloud!" "Tifa!" the two fathers called out at the same time. The two youngsters ran from their father until they were no longer within their sights. They both sighed, staring at the space that they last saw their kids. "They grow up so fast."

"Indeed. It won't be long until we will be planning for their wedding." Both men looked back at each other after saying this, and then gave out a hearty laugh, patting each other on the back as they went about their business.

Cloud chased Tifa behind her house, where she made it past a stack of wooden crates to the back area. Cloud was about to pass the crates, but something collided with his foot, making him lose balance and falling flat on his face. The sudden collision of his chest with the hard surface made Cloud cough, causing dust to rise just opposite from his mouth. He turned over, and saw the face of the person responsible for making him trip: his best friend Zack, a silly grin resting on his lips. "You should pay more attention, Cloud." Tifa came back behind her big brother and crossed her arms, giggling at a fallen Cloud. "You never learn do you?" she asked.

Cloud was embarrassed that they had tricked him again. However, seeing a rope behind their feet, and the ends of the rope near his hands, he knew that he would have his payback. "I may be a slow learner, but…" Cloud said as he gripped both ends of the rope. "… eventually I catch on." He pulled both ends of the rope, which caught under Zack and Tifa's feet and made them fall flat on their backs. They were now the ones who had been duped. Cloud laughed as he got to his feet and started to run, with Zack and Tifa now chasing after him.

---

The meeting was about to commence. The leaders had all decided to gather in Nibelheim to avoid suspicion and unwanted attention from the Cetra, such as meeting in Midgar. Rufus had arrived with his Turks, protective bodyguards with special skills, later than everyone else. All the leaders of their respective towns had come from far and wide to hear this. The leaders were as follows: Vincent Valentine of Kalm, Cid Highwind of Rocket Town, Barret Wallace of Corel, Bugenhagen of Cosmo Canyon, Godo Kisaragi of Wutai, Jason Strife of Nibelheim, and Rufus Shinra of Midgar. The leaders had not gathered in one place for over five years, and all were very eager to see each other again, as well as see what new discovery Rufus had uncovered next. Once dinner was served in the mansion, the Strife household, Rufus stepped forward with his Turks bringing up a covered table.

"Friends, thank you for coming. I called this meeting to show you the future of our race. As you all know, the Cetra of the north can communicate with the Planet; it is a skill they are born with. The way they communicate with the Planet is through the Lifestream. I have discovered a way to harness that energy." Rufus walked back to the covered table, taking the cloth in his hands and unveiling his new science project. There were four containers that held a green, glowing liquid. The other leaders did not know what to make of it. "I give to you… Mako energy." There was now audible whispers and talking amongst these guests.

Vincent Valentine stood up to ask Rufus a question. "How did you discover this, Rufus?"

"My company in Midgar has been collecting soil samples for months now. During the first digging, we came upon this green substance. After much studying, we found that if used right, it's properties can help power and entire town for at least fifty years."

More whispering and talking went on before Jason interrupted. "And what about warring capabilities? Can it be used for that?"

Rufus knew that question would come, and did his best to act like he didn't know. "We uh…" he cleared his throat before continuing. "We aren't entirely sure about that yet. Rest assured we will have an answer soon enough."

Barret Wallace laughed loudly for all to hear. "I hope you fools do find a way for that. God knows I'd like to open up a can o' whoop ass on 'em!"

"Heh, I'm sidin' with Barret on this one." spoke Cid. "These bastards need to know that we won't take their crap anymore."

"Gentleman, please." Bugenhagen interrupted. "The Cetra have done nothing to harm us for these last one hundred years. Using this as a weapon against them is senseless if there is no need."

Godo stated his feelings on the matter. "I feel that dear Bugenhagen is correct."

Jason left his seat to address everyone. "I would rather hope that you didn't use it all." People suddenly fell silent. "Rufus, this is an amazing find, it really is, but what are the risks involved? This blessing can't possibly come without a price. If this is indeed energy from the Planet, then we'd be robbing the Planet of its very life. And I know for a fact that the Cetra would feel the same way as I do." Rufus knew of these dangers already. "Are you all ready to face the Cetras? After what they have done to us before, I am not eager to repeat the mistakes of our forefathers."

Rufus tried to calm everyone by speaking again. "Jason, my friend, you have nothing to worry about. It was the furthest thing from our minds to resort using the Mako energy as a weapon. I don't want to start a war anymore than you do."

Jason was not so sure of Rufus' intentions. "If we steal from this Planet, the Planet will strike back; if not directly, then by some other means."

The people still out and about in the town were on their way home. One man looked to the wall, seeing several shadowy figures. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out the images he was seeing. Just then, one of the images created a fireball in his hand. The man saw the face for but a moment until the figure hurled the fireball at the villager. The townspeople saw this happen, and started to run for their lives, screaming all along the way. The front gates were then struck by a bolt of lightning, causing them to break off of their hinges and crush two villagers who were unfortunate enough to watch it happen. More of these enemies poured in through the gates, attacking the villagers with fireballs, ice attacks, and other magic they were able to conjure up.

Back in the mansion, the leaders and their families came to windows, only able to watch in horror as more townspeople were massacred. They were even able to see some of the people be slain by a silver haired man wielding an incredibly long sword. He must have been the leader. They could see him giving out orders for the men to follow. The Cetra were making their way to the mansion. Jason and the other leaders acted quickly by using the tables, chairs, furniture, whatever they could find to barricade the entrance. Vincent, Barret, Cid, and Rufus with his Turks went outside to help the villagers. Only Jason, Godo, and Bugenhagen stayed in the mansion. Jason found Richard in all the madness and pulled him over to speak. "Hide the children!" Richard did as he was told and gathered the children to a closet. There were seven kids, including Cloud, Tifa, and Zack.

"Stay here, and don't come out unless we tell you to! Understand?" the children nodded their heads. Richard closed the door and moved to the back exit to get everyone else out. When he opened it, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He slowly looked down, finding a blade sticking through his upper torso. The women screamed as they saw the sword suddenly pulled out of him, his blood pouring down his body and to the floor as his lifeless frame collapsed. At this exit stood the silver haired man with a small group of Cetra.

The silver haired man stepped forward into the mansion. He looked around, seeing the terrified faces of every person in the room. This brought a wicked smile to his face. The Cetra knew what was coming next.

"Kill them."

None in his group hesitated to start doing as they were commanded. The silver haired man started to hack away with his sword as well. The children inside the closet could hear the screams of their parents as they were murdered. When the screams were beginning to stop, they could hear loud thuds against the hardwood floor. THUD! THUD! THUD! The sounds became more faint though as they were beginning to stop. The children did not know it at the time, but the sounds were the bodies of their parents collapsing to the floor, lifeless and bleeding. When the screams had stopped, the only sounds left were footsteps. They echoed in the house, so loud that even the kids could hear them clearly. Soon, the footsteps inched closer to their hiding places. The hearts within the little children's bodies beat faster than you could imagine. Their breathing became heavy as fear sunk into their souls. They saw a shadow standing outside the door. Zack grabbed hold of the Cloud and Tifa, while the other children just curled their knees around their arms.

The silver haired man ripped the door off of its hinges, getting a scream out of the children as the action took place. He smiled once again when he saw their scared faces. "Oh… looks like I missed a few." The man said as he gripped the sword in his hand. The children closed their eyes as they prepared to meet their fate head on. They knew they were going to die, but did not want to look upon the face of their murderer. The man looked back at the table that had the materials Rufus brought with them. The man looked back at the children, remembering the reason as to why he still kept them alive.

"Get the materials, and bring the children as well." The Cetra did as they were ordered. Most of the children resisted, and were swiftly knocked unconscious. The only ones who were still awake were Cloud, Tifa, and Zack. Once they were outside, Zack bit the hand of his captor. The Cetra screamed in pain as his hold on the child loosened. Zack took this opportunity to help Tifa by quickly kicking her captor right in the groin.

He dropped to his knees, releasing Tifa as well. "Run, Tifa!" Zack screamed, ushering his little sister to go. As her father had always told her to do, she listened to her little brother and ran as fast as her legs could take her.

The Cetra who held Cloud was ready to shoot a fireball at her, but Cloud saw this move coming and knocked his arm away, causing the Cetra to shoot his fireball at a fellow Cetra, burning him alive. "Keep running, Tifa!" Cloud exclaimed, but was then met by a hard blow to the head, knocking him out cold. Zack was unconscious as well. The silver haired man looked over these two boys, grabbing a handful of their hair to examine their faces.

"These two have spirit. Make sure they are the first two to be used, and that they receive the most Mako."

The Cetra nodded as they carried out the order. It was a long way back to the City of the Ancients.


	2. Chapter 2: As the Years Pass

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

**A/N:** Thanks to all my reviewers who wish for me to keep on with my story. It really means a lot to me that you like it that much already . To answer Foi's question, Aerith so far is 9 and Cloud is 8, which would make Tifa's age 7, Zack's about 10 (I don't know his real age so I made this up). And to Beeria, I may take up one of your Clorith challenges, though I don't know which one yet lol. To GiM, thank you for your compliment. I do enjoy liking both couples, because there isn't a thing not to like about either of them. They both make great stories . And I may take one of your challenges as well, I just don't know which one yet lol. If any of you would like to leave some constructive criticism, it would be greatly appreciated. Tell me if you would like to see a change in my writing style anywhere. Well anyways, enjoy!

**We Belong Together**

**Chapter 2: As the Years Pass**

**Five days after the Queen's death…**

A grieving sum of nearly fifty people accompanied the King and his lieutenants as they carried the casket holding the body of Queen Ifalna to the selected area that was to be her grave. It was a morbid day for the royal family. Faremisu had now lost his second wife, one that he loved more than any other in his lifetime; Aerith had lost her mother, the only person she felt so very close to, save for Elmyra. With the royal family were thousands of friends and close relatives of Ifalna, Faremisu, and little Aerith. They all wept for their queen, but only a select few wept for the Ifalna they had grown up with and loved. As the cold winds blew against the face of Aerith, it showed the young girl that even nature felt sorrow for its lost child.

As they lay the casket into the earth, the Cetran priest, garbed in his elaborate and decorative funeral clothes, gave his blessing upon Queen Ifalna. "We beseech thee, Great Soul of the Lifestream, to take this child's spirit, that it may forever be bound to you and all the souls we have lost. May she be guided to her brothers and sisters who wait to be reunited with their sibling of the Cetra. Our queen we have lost, but a child you have gained. In the infinite wisdom of the Planet, this we pray. Ashes to ashes… dust to dust. Amen." The people bowed their heads in silence, praying with the priest that Ifalna would find peace in the next life. People then started to leave, one by one, until only Aerith and Elmyra were left. Even the king didn't stay with his sorrowed daughter, for he had other matters to attend to. Elmyra stood behind her little flower girl, holding her tightly.

"It will be alright, Aerith. Her spirit will watch over you, for all of your life." Aerith didn't want her mother's spirit; she wanted her **mother**. However, she did find some comfort in Elmyra's words. Only some.

"But… why did she have to die?"

Elmyra had to think of the words to use so the child could understand. "It… it was a disease that took her. She had kept it hidden for some time. Perhaps if she told us… we could have helped her."

_Then why didn't she say anything?_

Aerith was so young, and couldn't comprehend the ways of adults. She felt her eyes swelling up with tears again, and turned swiftly into Elmyra's arms. She wanted to hold something, her mother specifically. Since Elmyra had helped to take care of Aerith since she was just a baby, she was the closest thing to a mother that the child had now. Elmyra wrapped her arms around Aerith, lowering herself to knee level to be within Aerith's height. Together, they both shed tears for the passing of their cherished one.

---

Sephiroth had returned two days before the funeral. He never spoke a word to his father or anyone else for that matter. He just went down to his basement and locked the door. After their attack on Nibelheim, they had taken everything Rufus had brought to the meeting. This gave him all the materials he'd ever need to undergo his… experiments.

All the children they had captured were restrained on a table. Most of them were asleep. Actually, all of them were asleep, until Sephiroth came to Zack and Cloud, slapping them in the face to wake them up. He lowered his head so he could look upon their eyes.

"I wouldn't want you two to miss out on the fun you're about to have."

The fear Cloud harbored inside exposed itself on his face. He was about to cry.

Zack however, would not show his fear. "What are you gonna do to us?" he demanded.

Sephiroth let a wicked smile form on his lips. "You'll see. I don't want to spoil it yet." He looked up to his fellow scientist. "Hojo, get me the needle." The boys looked in the same direction as Sephiroth to see a scrawny looking fellow, who was hunched over with his hair covering part of his face.

Hojo looked back at the boys, smiling with his teeth as he held the syringe, filled with Mako, in his right hand. "As you wish, Lord Sephiroth." He walked to the side of his master, giving him the needle he had requested for. As with normal testing, Sephiroth pressed his thumb against the syringe. It pleased him to see a small amount of the green liquid eject from the end of the needle. He looked at both boys again, slowly lowering the needle to Zack's arm.

"I confess that I've never actually done this before." He swiftly injected the needle into Zack's arm, ignoring his cry of pain as he injected half of the liquid into him. He then took the needle out and did the same to Cloud. "So please, don't spare me any details as to how you are feeling."

At first, the boys felt nothing. In fact, they were feeling a bit stronger. That was until… the blood in their bodies started to boil, the sweat from their brows poured down their bright red faces, and every muscle in their bodies, even ones they didn't know they had, started to ache. The boys let out a scream. After that was over, they screamed again. And again. And again. This much screaming was a reflection to the pain they felt: never ending. They would scream until they no longer had the strength in their lungs to speak. During their screams, Sephiroth closed his eyes, smiling again as he just listened to sounds of their affliction.

"Beautiful."

"SEPHIROTH!"

The silver haired youth rolled his eyes at the screaming voice. It was Faremisu, and Sephiroth knew of what his father wished to see him about. "Keep an eye on them, Hojo. I'll be back shortly." Hojo gave a slight nod, going back over his notes to record all that they boys were doing, though recording screams couldn't be that hard. Sephiroth closed the door behind him, and then walked upstairs through the hallway and to the throne room where his father was waiting for him. "You called, father?"

Faremisu was, for lack of a better word, enraged. "You attacked the humans and massacred their village?"

Sephiroth smiled at the mention of his "accomplishment". "Not just one, father. All of them. Every human leader who came to that meeting went home to a pile of burning ash. We spared some of the people there. Who else would have been able to inform their leaders of what happened?"

The king was not pleased with this news. Sephiroth knew that he wouldn't be. He merely informed him of this so that he could gloat. "You killed three of the leaders. Bugenhagen, Godo Kisaragi, Jason Strife, they're all dead! What were you thinking! I told you to stop these senseless massacres! I want peace with these people, and you keep screwing it up!"

"Father, these humans discovered a way to harness the Lifestream. They were planning to use it to strengthen their sons and daughters so they could overthrow us. I merely put a stop to them."

Faremisu had not been told this. However, he didn't know whether Sephiroth was telling half truths or whole lies. His son had never had a great respect for others. In fact, he had always been a little… twisted. Faremisu had seen this since Jenova died, but had never really done anything to stop it. Now, he was one step closer to losing it and forsaking his son. As much horror as Sephiroth had wreaked, he had also been a great asset to the Cetra. Not to mention that he was next in line to the throne. However, Faremisu was starting to believe that he should trust Aerith more with the authority than his own son. "These killings will stop. If I hear of another massacre… you shall pay the price. And that, my dear son, is a promise." Faremisu stormed off to his room, attempting to calm himself down. With the funeral of his wife, he had enough to grieve over.

---

**4 years later…**

The testing had lasted for days. Each passing day, the pain Cloud and Zack were forced to endure minimized. They were growing used to their new bodies, though physically, nothing seemed different about them. When they stopped screaming from the injections, Sephiroth knew that they were ready. In fact, they were the only ones who were ready. All of the other test subjects had died from Mako poisoning. Boys, and girls, that Cloud and Zack knew since they were little. Sephiroth would always watch personally as they boys would spar with each other, seeing the strength, agility, and speed that had increased in them. On occasion, he would even step in with them to test their abilities firsthand. Every time he did so, he would clearly dominate them, though there were times that they were able to keep up with him and avoid some of his attacks. The only problem they had was that they couldn't work together. Both were so tired of being here, tired of being his lab experiments. They wanted to get out, but they didn't know how.

On this particular day, Sephiroth decided to look in on the boys again. He opened the door to the basement and walked in, finding them in the same place he usually had left them. The boys were in twin glass tubes. While they weren't exactly spacey, for the past four years, the boys had learned to call them "home". Sephiroth tapped his fingers against there tubes to grasp their attention. "How are my little rats doing today?"

Cloud didn't bother answering back, merely staring at the wall. Zack decided that he would respond. "What the hell do you want? Haven't you put us through enough already?"

The silver haired villain just chuckled at Zack's verbal assault. "I'm in a good mood today. I think I'm up for a sparring match. You both have certainly gotten better by now, right?" He turned away from them, but not before letting them see the smile they had grown to hate. "Hojo, let them out. It's time to do some more 'testing'."

Hojo smiled as he pressed the "Release lock" button (though it was written in Cetran language), opening the door to the boys' tube prison and releasing them. The two didn't try to resist, merely walking side-by-side to prepare to fight Sephiroth.

"Remember what we talked about yesterday." Zack whispered to Cloud. Neither Sephiroth nor Hojo had noticed them. "I know." responded Cloud.

They stood directly across from Sephiroth in an open area of the room that was their "arena" of sorts. Sephiroth had left his sword, Masamune, in his room, so there was no need to worry about him cheating. "Well?" he said as he waited for them. "What are you waiting for?"

"I'll go first." Zack said. He stepped forward, then leaping into the air, preparing to crush Sephiroth with his fist. He easily dodged this move, watching the child bury his fist in the ground. He was amazed that it cracked from Zack's power. Zack then made an attempt to punch Sephiroth again. After he missed for the second time, Zack rotated his body to try a spin kick. Once Sephiroth had dodged both attacks, the raven haired boy went for another kick. However, Sephiroth decided to grab the boy's leg. He then attacked Zack's face with the back of his hand. The boy was down from this attack, though he had suffered worse. He merely grabbed his cheek, saying "ow" as he got up. "Again." Sephiroth demanded.

Zack looked back at Cloud, who nodded his head, signaling he was ready to do his part. Zack smiled, but wiped his face clean of it as he looked upon the adult. The raven haired youth prepared again, breathing in and out. He then jumped up to Sephiroth's eye level, throwing punch after punch in an attempt to knock his head clean off. Sephiroth did nothing but dodge the entire time, managing to say, "Haven't you learned yet that this kind of attack won't work?"

Zack smiled as he kept punching. "We may be slow learners, but…" He then stopped suddenly, narrowing his body by raising his arms in the air and straightening his legs. By doing this, he dropped the ground quickly. Sephiroth, however, lost the smile he had on his face as he saw the other boy, Cloud, coming straight at him. He had no time to react as Cloud collided his foot with Sephiroth's face. This caused the Cetran prince to lose balance, and Zack capitalized by using his leg to sweep kick Sephiroth. With his body in midair, the boys finished him with one last kick to his head, which drove his cranium straight to the hard floor and knocked him out cold.

The boys landed gracefully, each with a devilish smile on their faces. "… eventually we catch on." Cloud finished.

Hojo had no time to react as he was met with a powerful kick to the stomach by Zack, sending the scientist's body crashing against his large control center. After he was left unconscious on the ground, Zack turned to face Cloud, screaming, "RUN!" With that, the boys took their golden opportunity and ran upstairs as fast as they could.

Five seconds after they left, Sephiroth was beginning to awaken. He put a hand on his forehead, having trouble remembering how he had gotten this monstrous headache. When he finally remembered, he swiftly got to his feet, kicking Hojo in the stomach to wake him up. "Hojo, wake up!"

The scientist coughed from the kick he received, but nonetheless he was awake. "What happened?" he asked.

"They tricked us! The little bastards planned this! Sound the alarm, and don't let them escape!" Sephiroth ran as fast as his legs could carry him up the stairs.

Hojo managed to get to his feet and hit the button, activating a very loud alarm.

All of the Cetran soldiers ready were looking around the area for anything strange. Finally, two Cetra's saw the boys running outside the palace, trying to make it to the ocean. "Humans! There are humans in the palace!" Each soldier got the word and traveled to the palace in order to stop the two youths.

However, the Cetra's were at a disadvantage as the boys were much faster than they knew. They managed to make it to the port, but were now faced with the problem of escaping.

"Cloud, it's time to use that gift!"

"But Zack, I haven't perfected it yet!"

"Just do it! It's now or never!"

Cloud wasn't confident that he could pull it off. They looked back once more, and their eyes were in shock as they saw Sephiroth in front of the other soldiers chasing them.

_I can do it! I CAN DO IT!_

Cloud was trying his best to build up his focus. "Zack, take my hand!" Zack did as he was told. Cloud then prepared himself as they neared the edge of the port.

Before he got too close, Cloud noticed out of the corner of his eye that a little girl was walking by. She was obviously not paying attention, just carrying her little basket of flowers in her arm. Her brunette braid was held together by a pretty red ribbon. Cloud shook his head so he could get his focus back.

"Comin' through!" he screamed at the girl. She snapped back to reality in time to see the blonde, spiky haired boy jump right over her. She stumbled onto her bottom after she lost balance. He had surprised her quite suddenly.

Just beyond them now lay nothing but water. As they closed in, Cloud took one final breathe before summoning all the power he had in his legs and jumping off the pier with Zack. He closed his eyes, putting all the faith he had in his new powers. Cloud was just waiting for the moment when he would feel the water crash on his face. However, he felt nothing but air brushing on his brow. He opened one eye, and happily opened the other when he saw himself soaring over the ocean. He looked up to his left shoulder. Never before had he been so happy to see that familiar black wing sticking out of his shoulder. Though it had a demonic form, and was frightening to look at, Cloud couldn't have been more overjoyed.

"Zack, it worked! It really worked!" The boys gave shouts of joy as they soared off into the horizon, finally breathing in the free air; an air that did not have Sephiroth hovering over it.

The Cetran prince was not at all pleased with this situation. He had been so arrogant, thinking he could keep the boys in his grasp forever. Now, he stood among his men, defeated, broken, and utterly humiliated… all because of two, little humans.

The little girl who Cloud had jumped over looked at the two boys as they flew away. Her emerald green eyes had never beheld such a sight, and she considered herself lucky. She folded her hands together, wishing she could someday fly as he did. "That would be great." she said. "I wonder who those boys were."

Just then, the little girl's maid called for her. "Aerith! Aerith, come inside!"

She didn't want to leave, but she knew she would be in trouble if she didn't go. "Coming." Catching one last glimpse of the boys, Aerith walked back to join her maid.

---

Faremisu laughed hysterically after Sephiroth told him the complete story. Rather than be angry, the king believed that his son had gotten what was coming to him. "Well, this is certainly an interesting event today." Faremisu managed to speak between laughs.

Sephiroth's anger peaked as he watched his father mock him. "Just give me my punishment and I'll be on my way." Sephiroth tightened his fist as he awaited his father's reply.

The king looked at his son with shock. "Punishment?" Faremisu let out another laugh. "Why son, I would never think of punishing you." Sephiroth was confused for the first time in his life. He showed his confusion by asking his father why he wasn't going to chastise him. "Because, my son…" Faremisu rose from his seat and stood closer to his son. "… you have already punished yourself with your arrogance. You thought you could control humans. But it has become apparent that they are not so easily conquered. You have humiliated yourself, and that is a far crueler act than I could ever commit."

Sephiroth's confusion instantly disappeared as his uncontrollable rage returned. Faremisu, however, was smiling in the face of his son. "You may go now."

Though it was hard, Sephiroth bowed before the king. He then left his father's presence to return to his chambers, where Hojo was waiting. "Hojo." The scientist acknowledged his lord's call. "Do we have anymore of the Mako left?"

"Yes, my lord. We have enough left for one more test subject."

Sephiroth smiled for the first time in many hours. It seemed that all was not lost. "Good." he replied.

---

Aerith was humming a beautiful song to herself as she watered her mother's flowers. The entire bed had fully grown, and remained beautiful each day as Aerith took care of them. She saw these flowers as the remaining connection she still had with her mother. She treated these flowers as if they were her own children. The area her mother had planted these was inside the castle, but in a courtyard Faremisu had built just for her. The flowers received plenty of sunlight each day. They were truly a work of art. Ifalna would be proud of her young daughter.

Elmyra entered the courtyard, smiling as she saw Aerith with the water pale. The tiny shower of water falling onto the plants sparkled in the sunlight, creating miniature lights on Aerith's face. "They have grown to be very lovely." Elmyra spoke. This startled Aerith, for she had not heard anyone enter. She was relieved when she saw that it was Elmyra.

"Yeah. They have. I wish mother could see them."

"She does, Aerith. Her spirit watches you every day. I know that she is proud to see her flowers bloom as they have."

This thought gave so much comfort to Aerith. She closed her eyes as the warmth of the sun stayed on her skin. Her imagination took over, pretending that it was her mother's warm hands on her face. If she concentrated enough, she could hear her mother's voice. Was this the voice of the Planet? Was it really her mother? She didn't care which it was, all she knew was that it gave her comfort.

Aerith snapped back to reality suddenly when Elmyra called to her. "Aerith, you're spilling the water." Aerith immediately pulled up the water pale, laughing at herself for her carelessness.

Elmyra smiled at her foster daughter and asked, "What were you thinking about?"

Aerith looked into the sky. The warm feeling made her smile again. "My mother. I think… I think you're right. She would be proud. It feels like… she's telling me now. I can hear her, if I concentrate hard enough. It sounds silly, I know."

Elmyra looked at Aerith in sheer amazement. Perhaps she was finally starting to hear the voice of the Planet. She was at the average age for children to be hearing the Planet's call. The middle-aged woman came near Aerith and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't sound silly at all. I believe your mother is speaking to you. And she is very proud of you."

Aerith smiled again. "Thank you, Elmyra."

"So, do you know what happened today that caused such a fuss?"

Aerith had not forgotten what happened. Her heart started to beat fast again when she thought about that boy with the dark wing. Elmyra noticed Aerith holding her hand over her chest, trying to slow her beating heart. Her face was flushed as well.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" she asked.

"Oh… yes, I'm fine. There was, uh… two boys. They were humans, I think." Aerith responded.

Elmyra was shocked. "Humans? How did humans get here without anyone knowing?"

"I'm not sure. But…" Aerith started to think about the blonde haired boy again. She made sure that her heart did not burst out of her chest as it was about to do last time. "… one of the boys was flying. He jumped over me and then he flew."

"He… flew? How did he do that?"

"He had a wing coming out of his left shoulder." She decided to change the subject before she would start blushing again. "Anyway, it's not really important. Let's collect some more flowers and take them to town. I'm sure the people would love to see them."

Elmyra frowned that Aerith would not continue with the explanation. She could almost sense a slight infatuation Aerith might have felt, but did not give it a second thought. "Ok then. I'll get another basket."

---

Midgar had flourished in four years. After the attack on Nibelheim, the surviving leaders went back home to find their respective villages in ruins. Broken and unsheltered, the leaders did not know where to go. Rufus opened his arms and his city to them. He had built Midgar with eight sectors, though that was simply too much space for him to have. He let each leader take a sector and call it their new home. Though it could never really replace their villages, the leaders thanked Rufus for his kindness. He merely said that it was the least he could do, and that he felt that it was his fault this fate was brought upon them. Though some were ready to agree, they kept their mouths shut. In this giant city, they had all lived in peace, never suffering another attack by the Cetra. The city walls were thick, and not easy to break. Everyone felt safe inside them, though in their hearts, they felt like they were in a prison; and the Cetra had placed them in their.

Rufus sat in his office, his feet on his desk. They were having another meeting with the leaders, each man discussing their feelings about certain mishaps. They spoke of trash, clean air and water, things of that matter. After that was done, they moved on to more pressing issues.

"I'm telling ya, we should get whatever forces we have together and kick some ass!" Cid burst out. Though his statement was informal, everyone was thinking the same thing. "I lost nearly half my inventions and my people! I'm gonna make these bastards pay out the ass for the shit they've caused!"

"Cid, settle down, please!"

"He's right, Rufus! I told you guys that we need ta open up a can o' whoop ass on these fools! They've crossed us for the last time!" As usual, Barret was on Cid's side, which usually involved yelling.

"King Faremisu is not responsible for these attacks. Sephiroth has been at the head of ever massacre."

"Then why hasn't he done anything to stop his son?" Vincent interrupted. "If he really cared, he would put a stop to it."

"I can't control what Faremisu does. He's only trying to ensure that he has an heir for when he passes on."

"The man's got a freakin' daughter, doesn't he? She could take over when he kicks the bucket!" Barret was tired of excuses. "I lost my wife to that psycho! My best friend, Dyne, too! All I got left is my little girl! And I ain't about to risk her life by not doin somethin about this son of a bitch!"

"I am not about to lead our men to their deaths because you want to go off on some half ass campaign!" Rufus would not deal with these outbursts any longer. His feet were on the floor while his fists rested in his desk. "You want to die, Barret? Leave Marlene all alone?"

Barret had nothing to say. That truth was sinking into his soul. He was mentally slapping himself for not thinking of it earlier.

"I took you all in. I want us to live in peace. But as this city's leader, I will not allow any of you to attack the Cetra. I don't want a war."

They all really saw Rufus as their supreme leader. He had the brains and the biggest city of all. He was a good candidate anyway.

"So, what do you think we should do, boss?" Cid asked him.

Rufus was silent, taking in a deep breath as he tried to think this through. However, he was cut from his thought when there was a call on his intercom. "Mr. Rufus!"

Rufus pressed the answer button. "I'm busy. Call back later."

"But sir, we've just seen two boys walk into town! They look like Cloud Strife and Zack Lockhart!"

Rufus looked back at his intercom with a shocked face. The other leaders left the office in a hurry to go into town. "Get Tifa and bring her to me!"

The entire city gathered in a large circle around the front gates. Most of the people did not know who these boys were. Some slightly recognized them, but couldn't put their finger on who these two boys could possibly be. Zack carried Cloud with one arm over his shoulder. The spiky haired boy was extremely tired from their flight to this place. They could see it from the sky, but had a crashed landing because Cloud was so tired. Barret, Cid, and Vincent made it to the crowd. The boys could hear the various shouts and threats from Barret and Cid. This brought smiles to their faces, relieved that no one had seemed to change in the span of four years.

"Well I'll be damned! It really is them!" Barret grabbed the two boys and hugged them as tight as he could. They almost couldn't breathe. "I'm so, so, so happy to see you kids!" One would think that Barret was about to cry. He didn't care what anyone thought though. He was just glad to see these kids.

"Haha!" Cid gave a hearty laugh, his own little way of saying he was glad. "I thought you little sprouts were goners! Damn it's good to see ya!" Barret set the kids down, ruffling their hair as he smiled. Just then, Rufus had his Turks separate the crowd so the boys could see someone. When they saw her, their hearts were filled with a joy they had long forgotten.

Tifa slowly walked up to the boys, her chocolate brown eyes filled with tears that had not streamed down her cheeks yet. Her white dress looked absolutely beautiful on her, as did her dark brown hair. She rested her hands on the boy's cheeks, letting her tears fall down her cheeks as she brought them closer. She embraced her two little men, giving them all the love for them she had in their embrace. They all sank to their knees as Tifa's cry of joy, and sadness, echoed throughout the streets. With what strength they had, the boys wrapped their arms around her, comforting her as best they could. They had a lot of time to make up after all.


End file.
